Worthy Core

Over months spent as a floor guardian, Taly had developed a bit of a habit with her combat routines. She was now having to fight a Challenger party almost every day, sometimes twice a day, and there were only so many ways to engage in a fight after all. Obviously, she liked to start off the fight hidden within her magical shadows, that had been a favorite trick of hers since the days when she was still a human. A wide-area sonic shriek was also useful, since many parties had no particular defenses against sonic attacks. In this case, however, Taly knows her opponent.

Lady Gilda Highbranch is a Noble Enchanter, a fact which she's seen in action. It's honestly not really meant as a true combat class at all, but rather as a crafter class designed to support other Challengers. To use her skills in a fight, Gilda needs time to prepare through the use of runes painted onto her equipment with magical inks. Which means Gilda's surely prepared counters specifically designed to handle each of Taly's most common abilities. Sonic attack? She's probably wearing enchanted earrings. Shadow magic? Gilda's used a light enchantment on her blade to burn through those before. Even Taly's trusty arrows probably have some defense already set in store for them.

So with that in mind, when Alizz calls for the duel to begin, Taly simply rushes forward at top speed. After all, no one can truly plan for a punch in the face.

The banshee's speed is remarkable - one might even call it inhuman - as the gray-skinned woman dashes across the training yard, sweeping towards Gilda's left. The half-elf does indeed seem to be rather surprised that her opponent is attempting to turn this into a melee bout, but to her credit Gilda still reacts quickly to the changing situation. Her shield swings into place, her sword pulls back for a strike - and then at the last moment Taly leaps into the air, soaring directly above Gilda's defenses. It's a swift move, not giving the banshee time to do much in terms of serious damage, but as she passes overhead her right hand hangs back to claw at Gilda's face. Literally, her fingernails being as tough and sharp as any kobold's talons, and Gilda cries out as blood begins to run down her cheeks.

Quickly spinning around, the woman's face is full of anger as well as crimson stains. "Gah! If this was a 'first blood' match, maybe you would have accomplished something. But it's going to take a lot more than that to make me submit!"

Grinning, Taly taunts her opponent. "Not even to defend your good looks? Granted, if you see to a healer soon enough there won't be a mark. But hey, maybe that Perlin boy likes scars?"

That leads to another angry shout as Gilda rushes forward, sword prepared to strike. Taly's ready for the move, but too much so - before she swings, Gilda reveals her rage to be mostly a feint. Instead it's her shield that swings upward, slamming into Taly's arm as she moves to block the blow. The banshee's further surprised though when the contact actually blasts her into the air with a flash of light, making her arm feel as if it's on fire. As she recovers to her feet she takes a quick look at her limb, but despite the sensation there's no flames to be found. A smile from Gilda does add insult to the injury, though.

"A holy enchantment, to burn the undead. Your new form may give you many strengths, but it has its weaknesses as well, does it not? Although if you did not like meeting my shield, you're welcome to taste my blade instead."

Taly frowns as she decides that perhaps a knife-fight isn't entirely in her best interests. "Yeah, yeah. If you wanted to really impress me, you would've challenged me to a round of bikini mud-wrestling. Now there would have been a fair match of skill."

Despite herself, Gilda has to ask. "What in the world is that? I sense you're about to embarrass yourself with the answer."

The banshee laughs. "Embarrass? You're looking at a two-time tournament champion! It's something we started in the inn a few weeks ago, matches twice a week with the Rabbit Rogues and anyone else who wants to take a shot. You're welcome to swing by, give it a try. If you don't have appropriate attire, nude wrestling is entirely an option."

"Gah!" With another shout Gilda rushes forward, blade swinging, but she's not the only one who's prepared for today's fight. With a sweep of her hand Taly scatters caltrops across the arena, crafted and mana-boosted to actual weapons by Xenia earlier that morning. And - because dungeons are also

known for being enchantment specialists - further boosted with something a little extra. The noblewoman kicks a few away to clear a path towards her foe, but nearly stumbles when she takes a step and realizes that the spiky pieces of metal have somehow become fixed to her boot instead.

"Like it? Sticky enchantment. Once one gets you, it's not coming off easily. At least not in the middle of a fight, anyhow. Want to call it quits before you ruin your soft noble feet?"

"Is your plan to irritate me into submission? I think you'll find the strategy rather counter-productive!" Despite her strong words, Gilda stumbles slightly as she takes her first step forward and finds herself pushing a caltrop a little deeper into her boot. Unable to remove it, the noble swallows her pride and does something she never thought she would have to do.

She hops forward into battle.

Taly can't resist giggling at the sight of the strong-willed woman hopping on one foot, occasionally letting her sword drag itself in the dirt as she moves forward, but the moment of distraction costs her as Gilda reveals that she did indeed have her blade enchanted to provide magical light. A sudden flash blinds the surprised banshee, giving Gilda the time she needs to close the distance, and a shriek rattles the eardrums of everyone watching as the sword's edge digs deeply into Taly's upraised left arm. It doesn't entirely sever the limb but it's clearly useless even with Taly's monstrous pain tolerances, and the dungeon boss quickly backs away to give her sensitive eyes time to recover.

Time which Gilda doesn't intend to give her. Still hopping forward at best speed, the half-elf utters a trigger word which causes her shield to begin emitting light of its own. It's not the same blinding flash her sword had produced, but rather a more warm, glowing sort of light...to everyone who observes it save Taly herself. Burning through the magical reservoirs of its painted runes, the anti-undead enchantment on the shield begins to shoot waves of nausea and disorientation through the banshee. It doesn't stop her from putting up a fight as Gilda comes into range, long knives suddenly filling the banshee's hands as she swings left and right, but even with all her weight on one foot Gilda manages to dodge or deflect the blows easily.

Deciding it's time for a desperation move, one simple and to the point, Taly rushes ahead in a tackle. Coming into direct contact with the glowing shield does cause her some additional pain, but the magic in it is already running out, and the pain Gilda receives is far worse. As her back slams into the dirt of the training yard, half a dozen caltrops manage to embed themselves in her armor and then into the muscles of her back. Her muscles spasm with the injury, disabling her immediate attempts to climb back to her feet, and as Taly's senses recover she raises a blade for a finishing blow. Not to the head, of course...perhaps to one of her less important organs, like a kidney. Association healers are pretty good with kidneys, she hears.

"Restrain."

Before Taly can strike her last blow, a single word escapes Gilda's lips. Taly's not sure exactly what to expect, but she definitely isn't prepared for the arcane chains which suddenly burst from the dirt, slamming manacles onto her wrists and ankles. They pull her arms behind her, making her shriek again in pain as her injured limb is twisted, but through the pain she finally notices something.

Gilda wasn't simply dragging her sword in the dirt earlier for physical support. She was drawing a rune on the ground. An oversized rune which she now finds herself right in the middle of. As Gilda's blade slowly lifts towards her neck, she forces out a question. "How the hells? Don't you need magical ink to draw that shit?"

Slowly and gingerly extricating herself from beneath the banshee and rising to her feet, Gilda manages to give her opponent a blood-stained smile. "You think you know my class, do you?"

"Yeah...Noble Enchantress. Something about that I missed?"

Gilda shakes her head, still smiling. "I wasn't just dealing with politics when I went home for these past few months. You have the honor of speaking to a Lady of Runes." Her sword brushes closer against Taly's neck. "A Master-rank Challenger. Do you submit?"

Taly mentally runs through her available options...but with an enchanted blade at her throat, none of them are good. A simple trigger word could probably have the thing shooting out a beam of light that would damn near take her head off. Eventually, she sighs. "...I submit. You got me."

Gilda's grin turns toothy. "Excellent."

 

---

 

Ten minutes later, after Alizz proclaimed Lady Gilda Highbranch the official winner of the duel, the two combatants find themselves being seen to in the office of the Association's on-duty healer. Well, mostly Gilda - for her part Taly is largely just taking a break while waiting for her dungeon boss regeneration to kick in. Although Taly can't see Gilda as she's being treated, her armor being very carefully removed behind a curtained-off section to avoid making her injuries worse, the woman's occasional quiet groans make it clear that Taly did manage to get in a few licks of her own. Deciding to help distract the half-elf, Taly strikes up a conversation through the curtain.

"So...how exactly do you want this apology done? Letter? Wait for Silva to come down to Grassbrook? Or should I just shout it out from the mountaintop? ...You know, I bet I could make myself heard in Grassbrook from there if I really tried. I don't really try for max volume very often."

The response comes after another short grunt of a caltrop being removed from a noble backside. "A public announcement in your dungeon's inn and a letter to my sister would prove sufficient, I believe."

"I can do that. And after that...we're good, yeah? No more silly honor duel shit?"

There's a sudden growling undertone to Gilda's reply. "It's not silly to me, banshee." After saying that though, Gilda's tone softens. "But to prove there's no ill feelings...I am willing to fulfill my end of the duel's wager despite my victory. The work shift in your inn, that is."

Taly briefly wonders if she suffered a head wound during the match. "Wait, what? Why?"

Gilda sighs. "At the request of my sister Silva. She...wishes me to practice humility a little more. Forgetting the challenge entirely was a step too far for me, but...I am willing to humble myself for a night's worth of serving drinks if she believes it's for my own good, somehow." There's a slight pause before she speaks again. "But I will not be 'mud wrestling'."

"Oh, of course not!" Taly's grin can be heard in her voice.

"That would have to wait until after your work shift."